Important for police to catch alleged mugger, eliminate fear: RNC

Police still consider the streets of Corner Brook safe despite Tuesday night's mugging.An 82-year-old woman was pushed to the ground just before midnight and had her purse stolen while she walked home from an establishment in the downtown nightclub area.The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary is looking for a female suspect in the robbery. She reportedly fled the scene and could not be located by police or the department's dog service unit. The victim's purse contained personal items, identification and an undisclosed amount of money.

An 82-year-old woman was pushed to the ground just before midnight on Tuesday and had her purse stolen while she walked home from an establishment in the downtown nightclub area. The robbery occurred on the sidewalk on the west end of Broadway. — Photo by Geraldine Brophy/The Western Star

"We would encourage everybody to take the necessary precautions to ensure their safety, but, as a police organization, we want to have everybody feeling safe in our community," Sgt. Tim Buckle said. "We will take whatever action we can in order to bring this to a successful conclusion in order to ensure that person is brought to justice."

The robbery occurred on the sidewalk on the west end of Broadway, shortly after the elderly woman had left a business, according to police.

She suffered a fractured arm and was treated at Western Memorial Regional Hospital. She was released and back in her home Wednesday, said Buckle.

Despite the bold crime, which can create fear in a community, Buckle said Corner Brook streets are generally safe. He said such a crime is a very rare occurrence in a small city that has such a familiarity among its people.

It is important for police to ensure that remains so he said.

"Due to the fact this is a vulnerable person in our community, being a senior, we have allocated resources to ensure this investigation gets the full attention of our investigators," he said.

The officer said there is not a description available to be released publicly, but that she allegedly acted alone. He said the robbery happened quickly, so the focus of the immediate investigation is canvassing the area and checking with businesses in hopes that surveillance videos may have captured something helpful.

He would not speculate whether the attack was targeted or random, saying that is part of the investigation.

Police are asking for the public's help in identifying the person responsible and anyone with information about this incident should contact police at 637-4100 or Crime Stoppers.

An 82-year-old woman was pushed to the ground just before midnight on Tuesday and had her purse stolen while she walked home from an establishment in the downtown nightclub area. The robbery occurred on the sidewalk on the west end of Broadway. — Photo by Geraldine Brophy/The Western Star